Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The rise of the labellers

By Michael Thompson - posted Tuesday, 11 November 2014


There is an insidious tendency creeping into modern discourse of labelling people with whom one disagrees. Such a tactic violates two fundamental principles of our democracy – the right to innocence unless proven guilty and the right to free speech.

We have labels like Islamophobic, homophobic, transphobic, Asianophobic, xenophobic, racist, misogynist, androgynist, anti-Semitic and so many others. It seems each day a new label is invented. If you want to silence someone you disagree with simply invent a label that you can pin upon them.

We can take the phobic words as an example but the same principles apply to other labels. A phobia is defined as a fear or extreme dislike of someone or something. Sometimes the word when used outside clinical areas seems to have several confusing meanings. It can be used to mean a fear, a dislike, a prejudice or simply a negative attitude. Such a confusion of meaning can often be used to manipulate a discussion such that, when challenged, a person can claim to have meant something other than what they really did mean. Fear, dislike, prejudice and negative attitudes are all perfectly adequate words so why not simply say what you mean instead of using a label and have people try and guess what you mean? Whichever meaning it is intended to carry is ultimately not that important since the same principles apply to all its meanings.

Advertisement

The right to be presumed innocent

If you express the opinion that someone is xenophobic you have to have some clear evidence to back up your claim – the same principles should apply to your 'diagnosis' as applies to clinical phobias.

People who have arachnophobia have a fear and intense dislike of spiders. This means all spiders always and everywhere. It does not mean that on one particular occasion they felt fear and dislike of a spider. Such fear may be perfectly natural if you were to wake one morning with a tarantula on your pillow. A phobia is an ongoing deeply permeating response to something.

When we see someone label another person as Islamophobic it is usually based on one particular example of behaviour or one expressed opinion. For example, if someone thinks that wearing a Muslim face covering in parliament house is a threat to security they can be labelled as Islamophobic without any other supporting evidence.

No doctor would make a diagnosis of phobia based on one instance. Not two or three even. There has to be a continually consistent pattern of physiological response for a phobia to be present. To label someone as Islamophobic simply on the basis of one or two opinions or actions is patently an abuse of the word.

If someone expresses an opinion that another is phobic without adequate evidence to support such a claim they lack all integrity. Like any opinion that is not supported by the facts it sounds hollow and the person comes across as shallow and reactionary. They have no respect for due process and the reputation of the person whom they judge. Of course everyone has the right to be shallow and disrespectful but why would you want to exercise that right? What is the point of expressing such an ill-informed opinion especially when it concerns serious subject matter?

Advertisement

The right to freedom of speech

Even supposing that you do have solid evidence that a person is definitely Islamophobic then it does not exclude them from the right to free speech and any action which does not violate the rights of others.

An Islamophobic person might agree with the banning of Muslim head dress in the parliament building but the fact that he is judged Islamophobic does not negate his right to present his argument. We should be making decisions based on the quality of the argument and not on the psychological health or prejudice of the person making the argument. Everyone has a right to be heard.

This appears to be an attempt to prevent free speech. When someone is labelled as homophobic we should ignore such labelling and listen with an open mind to the arguments put forward. If the most red-neck homophobe has an opinion on same-sex marriage for instance he has a right in our democracy to be heard on the subject. He may well have insights that are unique and very helpful to finding a consensus amongst disparate groups. He may well have nothing of value to add to the discussion but he has a right to express his views.

Whilst it may be a right to make a judgement on his homophobia it cannot be a reason for excluding him from discussions on a particular topic like same-sex marriage. This is what labellers hope to achieve. In effect they are saying to their audience 'do not listen to the opinions of this man simply because he is homophobic'. This flies in the face of all our cherished values in regard to free speech.

The same is true of other labelling tactics. If a man expresses an opinion that women do not agree with it does not automatically make him a misogynist or if you disagree with some of Israel's foreign policies you are not automatically anti-Semitic. If you are misogynist or anti-Semitic then you are still a human being with a right to express opinions.

When someone labels another person in this way they should be challenged. They should be asked to present evidence to support their claim or to withdraw their claim. If they can present evidence then they should be presented with the reality of everyone's right to express an opinion no matter what their 'phobias' may be. There intent is clearly to clamp down on free speech and such behaviour is much more of a threat to society than any kind of phobia an individual may possess.

It may appear that such attacks on our freedoms are of little consequence in the scheme of things. If that is the case then it should not present a problem for people to refrain from using such words at all. This would be the test of their real motivation. They would only insist if they had some hidden agenda.

If such labelling is not challenged it can quickly become a part of public discourse to the detriment of us all as rational beings. We should not let our search for truth about issues that divide us be hijacked by people who present opinions without evidence or by people who aim to curtail free speech. Too often we see that those who shout 'homophobic' or 'anti-Semitic' get the most attention when they should get none at all. Resorting to such tactics is a sure sign that they do not have reasonable arguments for their position. If they did they would have no fear of what anyone else has to say no matter how 'phobic' they might be.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

7 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Michael Thompson is a freelance writer and blogger interested in social issues. His particular focus is on exposing the emotional manipulation that passes for reasonable and logical debate in many social issues. He believes civilised society changes for the better when it does so for good reasons and not because the loudest, most aggressive or most manipulative of its citizens get their way. His blog can be found at Social Justice Issues.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Michael Thompson

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Michael Thompson
Article Tools
Comment 7 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy